As football fever grips fans across the globe with the FIFA World Cup in full swing, actor and avid football enthusiast Aparshakti Khurana reveals his deep passion and enthusiasm for the sport.

“Despite my hectic professional commitments, just the adrenaline that football carries keeps bringing me back to it,” he shares, adding that the sport is his “biggest stress buster”.

With excitement building for the ongoing World Cup, the 38-year-old shares his match-day ritual: “I try to keep my day easy at work so I’m fresh enough to watch the match... you need a lot of energy as a fan too.”

Aparshakti also adds how it fascinates him to witness the standard of football on display. He says, “The quality of football has gone up so much in the past few years — the fitness, the competition and the intensity.”

While among Indian footballers, the actor reserves a special admiration for former player Sunil Chhetri and calls him a “legend”, on the global stage, Argentina’s Lionel Messi remains his favourite. “He’s inspired generations while remaining grounded, and his journey reflects what football is all about — passion, perseverance and teamwork,” he says.

While the actor feels Indian football is progressing positively, he stresses the importance of investing in grassroots development: “More investment in youth academies and football infrastructure would help. Consistent success from the national team and stronger domestic leagues can inspire a larger fan base and create a long-term football culture.”

Having played several matches for All Stars FC, a celebrity football team dedicated to raising money for charity, Aparshakti is quick to name actor Tiger Shroff as the best footballer in the team. “His fitness is unmatchable.”

Comparing football dressing rooms with film sets, Aparshakti adds, “Even though I haven’t played football at the highest level, I know one thing for sure — no film set can compare to a locker room or a sports field. That’s where we find the real heroes. We make only films on them.”

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Actor Ahan Shetty is all set to jet off to Qatar for the FIFA World Cup. “I’m super excited about this,” an elated Shetty tells us. The 26-year-old continues, “I am supporting England. I hope they can bring the trophy home. The other team that I am supporting this time is Brazil. They have a really fantastic team this year. And if England or Brazil make it to the finals, then it will be a win-win for me.”

Talking more about his love for England, he says, “I have been supporting England ever since I became passionate about football and since I was a kid. David Beckham was my idol. It has always been England. They haven’t been able to lift anything for a very long time. So I’m hoping they make a splash in this World Cup tournament.”

When it comes to players, it is all about Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for him: “I want to see Ronaldo and Messi have a good tournament. It’s going to be their last World Cup, so I definitely want to see the two of them have a great time.”

The actor is leaving for Qatar with his friends and plans to indulge in touristy things on his free days. “I began planning this trip last year, trying to figure out where and when all of the games would be held. And everything in Qatar is quite close by, so we will also be travelling around a little bit too. I am going there on November 24 and will be there till November 30, during which I will be watching as many matches as possible. Then I have some work in India, so I will come back. I will be going back on December 12 to catch both the semi-finals and finals,” Shetty ends.